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Posts for: September, 2015

With fall comes the onset of many different types of sports teams. Whether recreational, competitive or in-between, sports can have an incredible impact on the feet. Let’s take a look at some common sports and discuss how they can impact the foot.

Baseball (Go Jays Go!)

Baseball has lots of starts and stops, running, and uniquely, sliding. These motions, especially the sliding, can result in irritation to the ankles and therefore sprains and strains of the ankle joint are common in sports. If playing competitively, players may be wearing cleats. With cleats, forefoot damage such as neuroma, stress fractures, and bunions and hammertoes are more common.

Basketball

Unlike baseball, this sport has a lot of jumping and running. Therefore, the most common injuries in basketball tend to be damage to the first metatarsal-phalangeal joint, or what most people refer to as the “ball of the foot.” Extra cushioning in this area can help. Additionally, ankle sprains are commonplace in basketball players.

Tennis

Much like baseball, there is a lot of shuffling from side to side in tennis. Therefore, we often see sprains and strains of the ankle joint, stress fractures, plantar fasciitis and tennis toe. A good tennis shoe is imperative to injury prevention .

Ice hockey

With hockey being Canada’s favourite pastime, we tend to see a lot of injuries resulting from this sport. Even though the foot is protected in a skate, injuries to the lower extremity account for 27% of all injuries in skates. One of the most common is sprained ankle from the actual motion of skating. A second common injury is referred to as “skate bites” and refers to inflammation over the top of the foot where the laces are usually tied. In general skate bites are caused by laces tied too tightly, irritation and friction between the skate and the foot, and improper socks (too thick or too thin). Finally, contusions and fractures are common in hockey. The most important thing with a fracture is to seek treatment- and not just play through pain, as many competitive players often do.

Each sport has a unique set of motions and actions required and this means that different injuries can result from different sports. If you are playing sports this fall or winter, we can help with injury prevention by discussing footwear, orthotics, etc. If you are already injured, we can help with that too, so give us a call at 519-624-4122 today!

Arthritis and its Impact

September is Arthritis Awareness Month, and so in the name of that, we thought we would help to bring some awareness to arthritic conditions that affect the foot. According to the Arthritis Society of Canada, 4.6 million Canadians live with arthritis, 33 billion healthcare dollars are dedicated to arthritis treatment, and arthritis is a leading cause of disability in the Canadian populations. And when you think about the role of the foot, the impact of this condition on mobility can be devastating.

When most of us think of arthritis, we usually think of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. However, the term “arthritis” is actually an umbrella term which covers many, many diseases. Some of these conditions, in no particular order, include: gout, ankylosing spondilitis, Reiter’s disease, lupus, infectious arthritis, scleroderma, stills disease, fibromyalgia, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and Paget’s disease. This list is not even exhaustive! So how do we as chiropodists manage such diverse conditions?

Treating the Arthritic Foot

Because many of the arthritic diseases are progressive with no cure, much of the treatment is therapeutic and involves pain management modalities. Some of these modalities include: padding and strapping, taping, prefabricated insoles, cushioning footwear, orthotics which can accommodate arthritis-related deformities, interdigital wedges, laser therapy or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. Some specific forms of arthritis can be managed and prevented with certain medications and lifestyle changes. For example, gout, a form of arthritis caused by deposition of proteins in the joint space, is managed with drugs, diet modification, and hydration.

With so many options out there, it is always best to seek professional advice rather than MacGyvering your own cushioning modalities!If you have arthritic related pain in your feet, give us a call at 519-624-412. We can help to determine what form of treatment may be best for you.